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Morning Notes

Published September 1, 2015 at 9:00AM

Water Meter Replacement Nearly Complete — An effort to replace outdated water meters in Arlington with more modern meter technology is nearly complete. The project, which began in 2007, is now 98 percent complete and is expected to wrap up by the end of the year. [InsideNova]

Emergency Preparedness Month — September is Emergency Preparedness Month in Arlington. This year’s theme, which is also the theme of National Preparedness Month: “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.” [Arlington County]

News

ACFD: Va. Hospital Center Refused to Admit Suspected Ebola Patient

By ARLnow.com

Published October 20, 2014 at 5:05PM | Updated October 20, 2014 at 6:04PM

Responding to an inquiry from ARLnow.com today, the Arlington County Fire Department confirmed reports that VHC refused the woman — who at the time was thought to potentially have the deadly Ebola virus — when medics brought her to the hospital. She never left the ambulance.

“We were turned away,” said ACFD spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Marchegiani. “We followed our protocol and brought the patient to the closest hospital (VHC), at which point we were rerouted to Fairfax Inova.”

Around Town

Emergency Responders Honored for Mental Health Service

By Ethan Rothstein

Published April 15, 2014 at 12:00PM

Four Arlington emergency responders were honored with Crisis Intervention Team awards earlier this month for handling emergencies with mentally ill patients.

Arlington County Police Officer James Joy was named Officer of the Year, Deputy Jeffrey Nowak was named Deputy of the Year, Officer Samuel Sentz was honored with the Intervention of the Year and Emergency Communications Technician Shanika Stewart was named Dispatcher of the Year.

Weather

Arlington, VDOT Urge Snow Preparedness

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 12, 2014 at 3:30PM | Updated February 12, 2014 at 4:27PM

The National Weather Service has placed Arlington under a Winter Storm Warning, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has declared a state of emergency and the latest weather models from the Capital Weather Gang predicts 5-10 inches of snow for the immediate D.C. region by the end of the day Thursday, with 4-8 inches falling by 7:00 a.m.

WMATA has already announced that late-night bus service — after 1:00 a.m. — tonight has been cancelled and MetroAccess service for the disabled has been suspended tomorrow.

Weather

Va. Gov. Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Winter Storm

By ARLnow.com

Published February 11, 2014 at 5:00PM

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has declared a state of emergency ahead of the winter storm that’s expected to dump 8-10 inches of snow on Arlington tomorrow (Wednesday) night through Thursday.

The press release from McAuliffe’s office:

News

OEM: Make a Resolution for Emergency Preparedness

By Katie Pyzyk

Published January 7, 2014 at 1:10PM | Updated January 7, 2014 at 1:35PM

OEM highlights the statewide Ready Virginia initiative and asks Arlington residents to join in the campaign by having a plan in case of emergencies.

“I believe we all have a role in emergency management by ensuring that we are prepared, that we have a plan and that we get involved,” said Arlington County Office of Emergency Management Director Jack Brown.

Around Town

ACFD Outfits Stations with ‘Safe Haven Lobbies’

By Katie Pyzyk

Published November 21, 2013 at 2:45PM | Updated September 10, 2014 at 8:01PM

If you find yourself in immediate physical danger while walking through a neighborhood, heading to a nearby fire station may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But the Arlington County Fire Department hopes to change that with its “Safe Haven lobbies.”

Although it is not yet widely known, a number of the county’s fire stations have been outfitted with special lobby features to protect a person who goes there for help.

News

Elevator Accident Nearly Severs Man’s Hand

By Katie Pyzyk

Published November 7, 2013 at 1:00PM | Updated July 12, 2017 at 2:29PM

Around 9:45 a.m., an emergency call came in for an elevator worker who somehow got caught in an elevator pulley system at 1300 17th Street N. in Rosslyn. By the time emergency workers arrived at the scene, the man’s co-workers had already untangled him from the cables and pulley.

Emergency workers reported the worker’s hand was partially severed at the palm. The man, who is in his 60s, was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University hospital.

Events

Arlington to Launch Month of Emergency Preparedness Events

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 27, 2013 at 12:00PM | Updated August 28, 2013 at 9:46AM

A kickoff event featuring an “emergency preparedness social and photo booth” is planned for Thursday, Sept. 5. That event will take place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at A-Town Bar and Grill at 4100 Fairfax Drive.

Starting Sept. 12, Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse will be hosting Disaster Movie Month, showing classic disaster films until Sept. 30.

News

Sign Up for Free Emergency Training Classes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published August 8, 2013 at 11:45AM

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training instructs attendees on how to respond when an emergency occurs. The skills learned can be used in a variety of situations that could occur at home — including fires and medical emergencies — as well as community situations — such as terrorist attacks, hurricanes and tornadoes.

More than 600 Arlington residents have completed the training, and they are sometimes called upon by the county to assist when emergencies occur — like during last summer’s derecho storm.

News

Fire Raises Resident Concerns About 911 System

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 3:50PM

Some callers reported hearing a recorded message while they were put on hold for several minutes, according to an ARLnow.com tipster. OEM Director Jack Brown confirmed that there were callers who heard a message asking them to stay on the line while the system was flooded with calls. Anyone who hung up was then called back to verify that they were safe and to check if they still needed emergency assistance, exactly like any other 911 hang up.

“It’s not an overburden for us, it’s just very busy in the initial stages of an emergency,” said Emergency Communications Center Commander John Crawford. “The system was working and the people were working. The only issue we get is when lots of people call all at once.”

News

911 Texting Capability Still on Hold in Arlington

By Katie Pyzyk

Published February 21, 2013 at 2:45PM | Updated August 29, 2013 at 1:09PM

“Certainly texting is something we want to get to, especially when someone is in a compromised position where they can’t talk on the phone,” said Arlington County Office of Emergency Management Director Jack Brown. “It’s something I believe is in the future.”

A few communities across the country — such as parts of Tennessee, Iowa, North Carolina and Vermont — have implemented or are experimenting with “Next Generation 911.” The Federal Communications Commission — which in 2010 held a press conference at Arlington’s Emergency Communication Center touting Next Gen 911 technology — announced in December that the top four cell phone carriers in America agreed to speed up the availability of the service, ensuring that 90 percent of the country’s cell phone users would have the capability by May 2014.